Is it just me, or does anyone else get annoyed when it comes time to thaw something from the freezer? There is always some dinner planning element when thawing is involved and I don't know about you, but I'm more of a spur-of-the-moment dinner decider.
If you do find yourself thawing a chicken breast or steak from the freezer, know that there are good ways to go about it and there are bad ways.
Food that isn't thawed properly can spread foodborne illnesses, but that can be avoided if you use one of the following thawing methods:
If you do find yourself thawing a chicken breast or steak from the freezer, know that there are good ways to go about it and there are bad ways.
Food that isn't thawed properly can spread foodborne illnesses, but that can be avoided if you use one of the following thawing methods:
- Leave it in the refrigerator overnight
- Use the microwave to thaw it
- Leave it under cold running water
- Use it in it’s frozen state while cooking (Think about those frozen hamburger patties)
Problems can occur when meat is left on a counter to thaw at room temperature. In the food sanitation world, there is something called the Temperature Danger Zone (queue the scary music!). The TDZ is a temperature range between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit in which bacteria grows and multiplies. Room temperature, which for me is usually 74 degrees, is an ideal temperature for bacteria growth. If meat has been left out on the counter for longer than four hours, you need to toss it and make it an Anthony's Coal Fire Pizza night.
Does rinsing chicken (after it has thawed the wrong way) make any difference as far as bacteria go?
ReplyDeleteWhy four hours? Why not 3 or 5?
What if I leave the meat in its package, in the sink, in water? I hate the idea of wasting all that water by leaving the faucet running.
Doesn't cooking the meat kill the bacteria? Is there bacteria or other nasties inside meat?